According to the Children Statistics Malaysia 2023 data, published by the Statistics Department, the number of children under 18 is estimated to be 9.13 million or 27.4 percent of the nation’s total population of 33.38 million.

These findings now pose a challenge to policy makers as to how to go about looking into the needs and wants of this segment of society and how to plan ahead for the future of these young Malaysians.

Not only is it a poser for the public sector but the private sector will also have to customise and cater to the specific needs of this section of Malaysians and align their activities accordingly to suit them.

For example,analysts contend that the consumer market must be transformed to cover the nutritional and healthcare needs, the educational requirements, the clothing, apparel and entertainment activities of these people.

In terms of those needing child care and protection, the majority of children are Bumiputera (73.5 percent) followed by Indians (9 percent), the Chinese (7.5 percent) and others making up 10.1 percent of the total number.

The number of children involved in crime in 2022 dropped by 12.8 percent or 3,013 cases compared with 3,457 cases in the year 2021 while sexual crime cases were 1,621 in 2022 compared with 1,481 cases in 2021.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE